GinBoy2

I'm replying generically to this. If you have dual citizenship, ensure both passports are in the same name. Forget the Thai one being in Thai, get it in the English married name. I work for Delta in the US and one of things that terrifies check in staff is if they check someone in and the name on the passport doesn't match the booking. Thats when the airline, and so you know the check in agent personally, are liable for fines.

You nailed that. When countries get into a conflict to fight insurgent, guerrilla wars it always turns out badly, and Afghanistan is the poster child for that. The British, The Soviets and the US have all failed. But conventional war thats totally different. Ukraine is a conventional war. Tanks, Artillery, men facing an enemy face to face, in uniform. No war is pretty, but this is one can be won depending on who has the biggest guns and the longest staying power

It was a pretty impressive speech, in English and him and his speechwriters targeted it very well above Congress and directly to the American people. The whole strategy may well end up mimicking Reagans cold war, where he figured, rightly as it turns out, the West could outspend the USSR and ultimately win. Problem is we thought that was the endgame and that Russia would end up looking like us. We never figured on a Putin, so here we go again, albeit in a proxy war in Ukraine!

I rather liked the use of the word 'chick' Haven't heard that used in a couple of decades. Had a rather nostalgic 1970/80's HS vibe to it. Now how do I get Dad to give me the keys to the car to go visit this hot chick?

Well that was quite the Wiki link. What I couldn't get over was how lightly he'd been punished. Admitting sex with girls 10-14, along with everything else! In the US that would have given him a life sentence.

I think that one's a bit different. If I remember the news correctly they collided with another ship. The other one that sticks in my head is USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego that sank after an onboard fire. But I can't recall any other naval ship sinking due to weather, and maybe I'm being naive but the Gulf of Thailand isn't the North or South Atlantic. How rough can it get??

Trouble is you are and just don't see it. I'd wager you're a 60+ white guy, and have never had to deal with racism in your life. I kinda got that when you replied to an earlier comment I made about my life experience. Problem is for you, I'm sure it's totally unconscious and you have no self awareness of how it sounds. I've already expressed how bizarre it was for this woman claiming to be something she wasn't, but she is a woman of color so just deal with that. The fact that you continue to chew on this bone is almost a desperate attempt to justify it all. Let it go, there was stupidity on both sides I'd suggest, but you need to look at the underlying, your underlying racism and maybe evolve your thinking. Many folks have!

What's struck me is how terribly the Russian military has performed. Back in the day, and the majority of us are old enough to remember, apart from the nuke threat there was always the specter of mass Soviet tanks rolling across the West German border. So what if they had? The Russian airforce faced with a much smaller Ukrainian airforce, flying the same era MIG and SU kit has failed to achieve air superiority. The land forces have performed unbelievably badly, so what are you left with? Bombing civilian infrastructure which it seems is the new sole playbook. So that's why they react so viscerally to the idea of Patriot missiles, is it denies them that last weapon in the arsenal

I'd never heard of this dude before this forum, but thought he'd been banged up in Vietnam. Now I read he was actually jailed in the UK. Now I don't know but I strongly suspect a UK jail is not some SE Asian Hellhole or a US Supermax so he hasn't had it so rough. Pity really, these scum should have as miserable a time as possible during incarceration.

Well to add to my list of D Minor tear jerkers a little guilty pleasure, 'Careless Whisper' by Wham I feel so unsure As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor As the music dies, something in your eyes Calls to mind a silver screen And all its sad good-byes I'm never gonna dance again Guilty feet have got no rhythm Though it's easy to pretend I know you're not a fool I should've known better than to cheat a friend And waste the chance that I'd been given So I'm never gonna dance again The way I danced with you, oh Time can never mend The careless whispers of a good friend To the heart and mind Ignorance is kind There's no comfort in the truth Pain is all you'll find I'm never gonna dance again Guilty feet have got no rhythm Though it's easy to pretend I know you're not a fool I should've known better than to cheat a friend (should've known better, yeah) And waste the chance that I'd been given So I'm never gonna dance again The way I danced with you, oh Never without your love Tonight the music seems so loud I wish that we could lose this crowd Maybe it's better this way We'd hurt each other with the things we'd want to say We could have been so good together We could have lived this dance forever But now, who's gonna dance with me? Please stay And I'm never gonna dance again Guilty feet have got no rhythm Though it's easy to pretend I know you're not a fool I should've known better than to cheat a friend And waste the chance that I'd been given So I'm never gonna dance again The way I danced with you, oh now that you're gone (Now that you're gone) was what I did so wrong, so wrong That you had to leave me alone?

I rather like Megan & Harry Do I know or even care if any of it is Gospel truth, NO. It's good entertainment, and as far as I can see it cost's the British taxpayer nothing. I can watch this along with 'The Crown' as perfectly great forms of entertainment. Good Luck to them, makes a change from just sponging off the UK State

Well thats true, from China, Vietnam, it's not Communist as much as one party Capitalist totalitarianism. Russia after the collapse of the USSR flirted with real democracy, but has kinda ended up looking a lot like Xi's China. You could probably argue that North Korea is the only Communist regime left on the planet

Actually the EU had nothing to do with the security agreement when Ukraine gave up it's nuclear arsenal The agreement was signed by Ukraine, UK, US and most hilariously Russia

Well there is the dilemma. I think we all have sympathy for anyone fleeing persecution, but they are swamped by those economic migrants. Now in the US most of us are decedents of economic migrants. My Grandparents crossed the border at San Ysidro, not being persecuted but just wanting a better life in America. But that was then, Asylum rules were drawn up in the 1950's, not sure how any of this now translates into a 21st century world

Well for anyone who has ever been divorced, broken up, Abba's 'The Winner Takes it All'. It's also in D Minor, which according to Spinal Tap, is the Saddest Key I don't wanna talk About things we've gone through Though it's hurting me Now it's history I've played all my cards And that's what you've done too Nothing more to say No more ace to play The winner takes it all The loser's standing small Beside the victory That's her destiny I was in your arms Thinking I belonged there I figured it made sense Building me a fence Building me a home Thinking I'd be strong there But I was a fool Playing by the rules The gods may throw a dice Their minds as cold as ice And someone way down here Loses someone dear The winner takes it all (takes it all) The loser has to fall (has to fall) It's simple and it's plain (it's so plain) Why should I complain? (Why complain?) But tell me, does she kiss Like I used to kiss you? Does it feel the same When she calls your name? Somewhere deep inside You must know I miss you But what can I say? Rules must be obeyed The judges will decide (will decide) The likes of me abide (me abide) Spectators of the show (of the show) Always staying low (staying low) The game is on again (on again) A lover or a friend (or a friend) A big thing or a small (big or small) The winner takes it all (takes it all) I don't wanna talk If it makes you feel sad And I understand You've come to shake my hand I apologize If it makes you feel bad Seeing me so tense No self-confidence But you see The winner takes it all The winner takes it all So the winner takes it all And the loser has to fall Throw the dice, cold as ice Way down here, someone dear Takes it all, has to fall And it's plain, why complain?

Just one slight correction to this. Ukraine is the only country in history that has ever voluntarily given up it's nuclear weapons. I suspect they may now be regretting that decision!

Gentlemen, With the average age of this forum being probably in our 60's, not a one of us will be adoring the cover of GQ magazine as a fashion icon anytime soon I've long since given up worrying, caring what people think, and if I feel comfortable in what I wear I couldn't give a rats ass what others think

Agreed, it is sad however his situation is much of his own making. We don't know if he has family in the US who can help him while he gets back on his feet, if he doesn't thats just bad. He is of an age where he can get social security, so long as he paid in long enough, but again we don't know how long and how much This seems on the surface at least to be the classic trap. Living on a shoestring in Thailand with no ties back home, and when the sh%$t hits the fan living in a cardboard box under a freeway underpass is in your immediate future

We gotta be careful here. Some of the loudest critics of Putin are on the even crazier far right. Were Putin to be toppled I fear It might be from that ultra crazy right wing, and God knows what that might bring!

Well it depends how much he paid into SS. I think many of the non Americans don't get that we don't have a fixed 'pension'. Our social security payout is dependent on how how much you paid into the system. You guys can argue how fair or not, that is. Now 'if' you want to swan off to Asia in your 40's stop paying into the system, I'm fine with those folks getting less than than someone who works into their 60's paying into the system

I don't disagree with that, he'll find a job. But landing at an airport with nowhere to stay, and finding a job. Well lets say it wouldn't be a situation I'd want to be in

WelI, wouldn't put money on the Thai family helping out. The only thing he probably could liquidate would be his bank account. The house, land, thats all his 'wifes' The worst part of this is when he gets home. I hope he has some family who will take him in until he gets back on his feet. The US isn't Europe, he won't get put up in a hotel indefinitely, he'll be on his own and without family support it's gonna be pretty bleak

Another 'Oh Dear God' story. Well he's 63 so he could have been pulling social security for a year, but given the fact he's been in Thailand for a few years who knows what his contribution record is, and subsequently what his monthly payout would be. Who knows what he has to go back to, but certainly looks like he committed the cardinal error and has nothing back home, and anything he has is Thailand will be forfeit. As for his wife, who knows if married legally, which would be the only way she could join him in the US. Pretty much all up shi%&t creek

I wasn't joking when I said previously when I said passengers will start drinking at 6am at an airport, something they would never consider doing normally. I work the early morning shift from 4am, and every day I'll walk through the terminal to the gates, and sure as sh*&t there will be folks at the bar slugging the booze as soon as they open. Seriously it's like people lose their minds when they are embarking on a flight. My best one was the crazy preacher. Drunk as a skunk, cowboy hat, adorned with the Cross of course left the bar only to be denied boarding since the flight had already closed. Barged past the gate agent down the jetbridge, which had already pulled back, out of the security door down on to the ramp. How he thought he was going to get on the the aircraft from the ground I have no idea. So I'm chasing him, while the agent is calling the LEO, I corner him, he's ranting about how he needed to be in Texas tonight to deliver a sermon, and I was the Devils agent from preventing him from doing Gods work. At this point the aircraft has pushed, engines are running I had to tackle him to the ground before he ran into a running engine. The Lord had a way of getting him into some shiny bracelets that day.. Thats how crazy it gets!

As an airline employee one of my roles is as a GSC, Ground Security Coordinator. You have no idea how common this stuff is unfortunately. We try to keep them from boarding, generally it's intoxication, but they do slip through then after the aircraft has pushed flight crew have to deal with it, and if necessary return to the gate. I have been spat at, threatened with various forms of violence when I've told a passenger I would not be allowing them to board. People are in general idiots, and when at an airport it seems perfectly acceptable to start drinking at 6am and get totally hammered before a flight. With experience as soon as things start getting seriously abusive I have no qualms to call the boys with the guns to come and calm things down. I don't get paid enough to deal with that <deleted>. I have dealt with more than my fair share of folks like this; "Do you know who I am" well No and I don't really care